Clan Line in 2021

Well THAT worked out well! So glad the meeting at Kings Sutton happened - well caught. I nearly got lucky at Hook years ago with 73096 up and 4472 down, but they were a couple of minutes apart. 'Clan Line' was shut off on the climb to Betchworth today and left an unusual amount of smoke hanging about to add to the murk and gloom.

 

Does the use of Clan Line on Steam dreams Christmas train yesterday mean that she might when available see further use by West Coast next year on a few occasions when it needs a class 8 , or its felt that a southern loco would be an more appropriate motive power .

 

There was a piece a few months back in Steam Railway (around the time the Bluebell visit was announced) and I'm sure Simon would be able to clarify it better as he was part of the feature and as Treasurer of the MNLPS, but the article says they're looking to run occasional tours for other charter companies like RTC and Steam Dreams and are open to further preserved visits going forward, but they wouldn't want to over do it.

 

A dull day in London sees 35028 pass Chiswick on one of the Santa Specials.
2021-12-14 35028 CHISWICK by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

 

Coz you can't have enough Southern locos.

 

Whilst I would also agree with Ian's comment, on the basis BIL seems only to be released to the South once a year for a couple of tours and Tangmere it is assumed by all on here will be the NB loco then from a southern tour perspective they are in effect not available to use.
A DCE with Clan Line and then 31806 leading back to Southampton with Clan Line banking out of Weymouth and up Parkstone Bank would be very high on my list of mega trips for example. (Up the main line from Woking in the evening like they used to do would be the icing on the cake!)

 

Forgetting Southern Locos, don't forget they had to hire her in to haul this years Cotswold Venturer trip as there was no other steam locomotive available in the south. The MNLPS after said trip may be more keen to lend a helping hand with West Coast operated trips if available and no other locomotive able to be sent down to Southall.

 

But this year the DCE only ran once from memory and we had no Swanage Belle all down to no available loco when Bahamas went off to do other things. SD I think may have lost some non Mayflower trips as well.
We seem to be lucky if we have one 10A loco outstationed at Southall these days.

 

The other factor is the location of support crews and engineering facilities. It is significant that West Coast has not recently sent any of its own locos to Southall for any extended stay and someone in the know on another thread said that they weren't too happy with them being away from Carnforth for so long. We had Bahamas down south this summer and a return visit is planned for 2022, which is s tremendous gesture by the support crews as most of them are based in the north of England. Clan Line has the advantage of a predominantly south-of-England based support crew and an engineering base at Stewarts Lane.

Mine too!

 

That is very much what i was thinking, plus on a certain Week end in July When RTC and Steam Dreams have their celebration runs , wouldn't it be good to have two Merchant Navies Roistered for them, as both are operated by West Coast one to Weymouth, one to Southampton via Fratton using the Portsmouth direct route .

 

Clan Line's last duty of 2021, yesterdays Santa and Christmas Steam Express:

 

Certainly does not help but there was a diesel trip this summer where the stock went to Dorchester South in the layover due to another tour in Jersey Sidings. Of course only works if the diesel tour is T & T

 

There is another important anniversary next year, 50 years since the last run of the Golden Arrow. We have a set of Pullmans, we have a Merchant Navy Pacific, does anyone have a set of Rotterdam Lloyd nameplates?

 

35015 was the only rebuilt MN that ever worked the Arrow. 28 did not return to 73A after rebuilding.

 

It would nice have a trip to Exeter behind BIL, there are two pictures of it with an ACE headboard in Never Again volume 5.